Lacing device.



E. CAMPBELL @I G. A. FAIR.

LACING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8.1916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

IIN 1i r SAT@ ATFLT FFIF. l

EDW'ARD CAMPBELL, OF WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA, AND GEORGE A. FAIR, OF

DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

LACING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2*?, 1917.

To aZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, EDWARD CAMPBELL and GEORGE A. FAIR, citizens of the Do minion of Canada and of tae United States, respectively, and residents of lWindsor, in the county ofEsseX and Province of Ontario, Canada, and Detroit, in the county of lvVayne and State of Michigan, respectively, have invented a new and Improved Lacing Device, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to produce a lacing device particularly adapted for lacing shoes, corsets, plackets and the like and it consists in a slitted garment having opposed lacing elements located along tapes secured to the edges of the garments and alined with one another longitudinally of said edges, together with a preferably elastic key strip or connecting piece that is slidable longitudinally ofsaid slit to successively engage with the opposed lacing elements, whereby the slit is closed. The invention also consists in a key strip of the character stated having finger grips at its ends whereby it may not only be seized to draw it from open to closing position or vice versa, but is also retained in the positions mentioned. i

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section corresponding thereto. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a modification. Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of another modification on a line corresponding to the line 4 4; of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse section showing a further modification.

rIhe numeral 1 indicates two narrow tapes which may be sewed or otherwise attached to the opposed edges of the opening in the shoe, corset, skirt or otherl garment which it is desired to close. In certain instances, however, the tape may be superseded by the edge portion of the garment itself. Attached to the tapes at Ashort intervals are a series of opposed lacing elements each of which in cludes a thin fiat inner clip 3, preferably metal, having a shallow edge rib or flange 11 which extends longitudinally of the edge of the tape and is turned up away from the body of the user; each lacing element also includes a thin outer clip having a flat body portion 5 and a transversely and outwardly bowed longitudinally extending flange 6 spaced from the inner clip and terminating a short distance from the rib 4. The clips of each unit are preferably connected by tongues S which are struck from the body of one of the clips (preferably the inner clip) and pass through the tapes and through holes in the other clip and have their ends bent over. @ther means of attachment, such, for example, as small rivets, may, of course, be used. The rows of lacing elements on the opposite edges of the shoe or other garment thus form two longitudinal channels, each of which is adapted to receive one of the edge ribs 10 of a-rubber connecting piece or key strip which preferably includes the thin web portion 12 that may terminate at cach end in a finger grip 13 having a restricted neck la, the base of the finger grip being preferably of greater width than the out-to-out distance between the ribs 10.

In use, one of the tapes being secured to each edge of the opening of the garment, for example, to each edge of the front of the shoe, it is only necessary to bend the upper finger grip 3 out away from the web l2 to allow engagement of the ribs l0 with the lowermost of the corresponding lacing elements, after which the connecting piece or key may be drawn upwardly until the upper finger piece passes out of the slot between the rows of lacing elements. The finger grip then being released, swings up into the plane of the web and is drawn back downwardly by the elasticity of the body portion of the key until its sides seat themselves against the uppermost lacing elements-thus the key is held fromv movement in either direction by the two finger grips. Because of the elasticity of the web 12, the two lines of lacing elements may bulge or curve somewhat in respect to each other to adapt themselves to the shape of the crown of the instep or other adjacent portion of the body; and, in certain instances the ribs l0 may be made to diverge from one another for similar purposes.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the web 12 is partly or wholly omitted and the web portions 10 of the key are joined by a lacing cord 15 which may be drawn in or let out to afford initial adjustment. The ends 16 of the rubber afford combined finger grips and retaining members, as before.

In Fig. a the lacing elements are shown made up from a pair of duplicate continuous thin metal strips 17 having longitudinally spaced transversely curved flange members 18 which constitute the lacing elements. This construction is desirable since it allows the parts to be stamped, disposes with the operations of assembling necessary in the modifications heretofore described, and insures proper alinement of successive lacing elements. Any desired means, such, for eX- ample, as that heretofore described, may be used to secure the strips and the tape together. The term lacing element employed in some of the claims thus designates either elements formed separately from or integrally Awith other elements of the same sort; and the term key strip refers to strips made in either one or a plurality of parts.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the lacing elements are made separate from each other. Relative twisting is however prevented by the use of a continuous thin metal strip 2O which is interposed between the tapes and the portions of the lacing elements on one side thereof. Rivets 2l are shown fastening the parts together. The configuration of the edge of the key strip is of course modified slightly to correspond to the shape of the channels in which it is to slide.

Various other changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we do not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims.

We claim l. Means for lacing slitted garments comprising opposed lacing elements disposed in rows along the edges of the slit, each row of said lacing elements forming a longitudinal channel having ay restricted entrance opening on the side adjacent the other row, an elastic key strip slidable longitudinally of the slit, said strip having' edge ribs received in and conforming to said channels, whereby the edges of the garment may be drawn together to close the slit, said elastic key strip having a finger grip at each end arranged to co-act with the corresponding end elements of the rows to positively retain the strip in slit-closing position.

2. Means for lacing slitted garments comprising a pair of tapes adapted to be secured to the edges of the garment, inner metal strips disposed along the inner faces of the tapes and having out-turned edge ribs, outer metal strips disposed along the outer faces of the tapes and having transversely and outwardly bowed fianges the outer edges of which are spaced short distance from the rib on the corresponding inner metal strip to form longitudinal channels, a key strip having marginal flanges slidable in the channels whereby the tapes may be drawn together, said key strip having means at its ends adapted to co-act with the ends of one of the metal strips to positively retain the key strip in slit closing position, said outer and inner metal strips being secured together by tongues that are struck from the inner strip and pass through the corresponding tapes.

3. Means for lacing slitted garments comprising opposed lacing'elements disposed in rows along the ed ges Iof the slit, each row of said lacing elements forming a longitudinal channel having a restricted entrance opening on the side adjacent the other row, a flexible key strip slidable longitudinally of the slit, said strip having edge ribs received in and conforming to said channels, whereby the edges of the garment may be vdrawn together to close the slit, said flexible key strip having a finger grip at one end arranged to co-act ,with the end elements of the rows to retain the strip in slit-closing position.

4i. Means for lacing slitted garments cornprising opposed lacing elements disposed in rows along the edges of the slit, each row of said lacing elements forming a longitudinal channel having a restricted entrance opening on the side adjacent the other row, a key strip slidable longitudinally of the slit, said strip having edge ribs received in and conforming to said channels, whereby the edges of the garment may be drawn toget-her to close the slit, and a continuous flexible metallic element, independent ofthe key strip, associated with the lacing elements of each row whereby they are held in proper alinement with reference to the adjacent members of the row of which they are a part.

Means for lacing slitted garments comprising a pair of tapes adapted to be secured to the edge portions of the garment, opposed lacing elements disposed in rows along the edges of the tapes, each row of lacing elements forming a longitudinal channel having a restricted entrance opening on the side adjacent the other row, a key strip slidable longitudinally of the slit, said strip having edge ribs received in and conforming to said channels, and continuous flexible metallic elements attached, respectively, to the lacing elements of the corresponding row, whereby said lacing elements are held in proper relative alinement.

EDWARD CAMPBELL. GEORGE A. FAIR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

